11 Key Questions Before You Buy Your Next Car

While many people are talking about buying their first electric car in the near future, for many it can be hard to separate the myths surrounding them from the benefits that they afford – and marketing ploys and misinformation in the media can often get in the way of taking the decision to move to a zero-emissions vehicle.

With the emissions from our cars typically accounting for the largest part of our carbon footprint, taking the step of driving an electric car could make a major difference in saving the planet – and saving you money in the process.

Today, we present 11 key questions to ask yourself before you buy your next car, to make sure you are getting the best possible deal for you and the planet.

1. Realistically, what is my daily mileage?

Typically this is the first misconception that people have about electric cars – they think that they need a car capable of doing 400km or more, when in reality the average car journey is just 14.6km from start to finish.

2. How much do I spend on fuel per week/month?

Did you know that electric cars are significantly cheaper to run than petrol, hybrid or diesel equivalents – saving around 74% annually when you combine fuel, servicing and insurance costs.

3. How often do I drive?

The idea of owning a car has felt like a landmark moment in most people’s lives, in the same way that we are told that we are successful if we get married or buy a house – but those are values of older generations who do not have to contend with the extortionate rents of 2020, or the change in social values.

As strange as this may sound, owning a car might not be right for you.

Typically cars are parked for 95% of their lifetime, and yet you’re still paying for insurance and maintenance costs during that time.

With a host of great new car sharing services out there, which cater to people who only need a car on rare occasions like going away for the weekend, why not look into whether this might better suit your personal needs.

If you do drive every day, think of the emissions that could be saved from going electric. With one in eight deaths in the EU directly attributable to air pollution and climate change, we all need to step up to the challenge and reduce our emissions.

4. How often do I do long drives of 300km or more?

As we’ve already covered, a well-worn argument against EVs is that people need to cover vast distances each day – when we know in reality this isn’t true.

This is a particularly relevant question in Ireland, where you can only drive so far before you end up in the sea.

For evidence of this, find out more about how a Nissan Leaf drove 16,000km across 20 countries in 56 days.

5. How much meat & dairy do I eat?

This might seem like a stupid question when buying a new car – but the reality is that our diets and our transport usage are typically the two largest parts of our carbon footprint.

According to the latest available figures, 71% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transport, agriculture and energy sectors. This simply isn’t sustainable.

With just 7 years to take meaningful action before irreversible and catastrophic climate breakdown, we all need to be doing our part and considering how our lives impact the world around us.

Driving a hybrid, petrol or diesel car and consuming large amounts of meat and diary is not sustainable - but there are alternatives for each out there already.

But if we move to driving zero-emissions vehicles that are powered by renewable energy, we can still afford to have the odd burger or breakfast roll.

6. Do I actually need a large vehicle?

SUV and crossover vehicles have been heavily marketed in recent years and have subsequently become a leading choice for new car buyers – but many won’t know that SUVs are also the cause of the second largest rise in carbon dioxide emissions over the past decade.

In fact, if SUV drivers were a single nation, it would rank as the seventh largest emitter in the world. They are also incredibly dangerous vehicles, and are twice as likely to kill pedestrians than smaller cars.

7. Can I charge my electric car at home?

Electric cars can be charged in one of three ways:

• An overnight charge from a three-pin plug socket at home

• Via a wall-box on your home

• Via a public fast charger

Most typically you’ll want to charge at home, as this is the cheapest option and charging your car via slower methods increases your battery life.

If you live in a high-rise building or block of flats, this might be more difficult than for people who live in a detached home, and this shouldn’t be overlooked.

It is worth speaking with your tenancy group, landlord or building owner to ask if they are planning to add electric car chargers. Given that this will be an increasing demand from tenants in the coming years, try to convince them that this is a good investment.

Alternatively, does your employer offer electric car charging, and could you therefore charge your car at work for free while you’re at work? Installing a charger can be good PR for them, and mean even greater savings for you.

For more on electric car charging see our Guide to Charging.

8. Where are my nearest public charging stations?

Whether you’re charging your car at home or planning a day trip, you’ll want to know where your nearest public charging stations are.

These are faster chargers than you get at home and are often found at petrol stations or motorway services – although we’re seeing an increasing number of hotels, B&Bs and popular attractions installing them too.

9. What incentives are available to help me buy an EV?

The upfront cost can be prohibitive for many who want to go electric – especially when some manufacturers are misleadingly advertising cheaper hybrid vehicles as “electric”, despite the fact that they are incredibly harmful to public health and the environment.

Yet, the cost of electric cars is falling all the time and there is a growing second-hand electric car market in Ireland.

Alongside this, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland offers a number of grants and financial incentives towards buying a zero-emission electric vehicle, which can make the upfront cost significantly less.

We’ve written a full guide to EV Grants in Ireland for you, including how you could save up to €500 per year in discounts on parking and tolls.

10. Do I want a new car, or would a used car fit my budget better?

There is an odd and unearned stigma around second-hand electric vehicles that has arisen from a myth about battery life, and which needs to be dispelled.

Most electric car batteries are guaranteed for 8-10 years – if this doesn’t seem like very long, it is worth noting that the average life expectancy of a petrol, diesel or hybrid car is just nine years.

11. Are you open to, or planning to, install renewable energy such as solar at home in the future?

While this might seem like another question that isn’t relevant to your decision-making process for buying a car, if you are able to run it off solar or wind power that you generate at home, you’ll never have to pay for fuel again.

Think of the money that could save – as well as the emissions.

Electric cars not only allow us to stop making emissions when we drive them, but they allow us to move towards a much more sustainable lifestyle in general. Using solar panels or wind turbines to power your car, warm your house, or heat the water for your bath mean that you won’t have to make compromises to your lifestyle in other ways.

Within a matter of years, the amount of money you save in running costs for your electric car, alongside the savings from your solar panels, could have paid them both off.

Renewable energy is increasingly affordable and there is a big push to increase the number of homes with solar panels – and there are plenty of SEAI grants available to help make the leap.

Check out our Guide to Renewable Energy for more.